A Dog's Life
by Nicola19
Summary: Sakura finds a wolf and takes him home. Shadow is no ordinary wolf though. He can talk to her and had an almost human intelligence. He also can't remember anything before being found by Sakura.
1. Shadow

I recieved some messages from people who saw the summary for this story on my profile and asked me to post it so I am. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I no own Naruto no matter how much I wish I did

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**Ch. 1: Shadow**

The old woman cackled at the boy in front of her, "You think you can fight me boy? My you are entertaining."

"I will fight you if you stay in my way," he told her.

"Just you try it boy. I'll show you what a fool you are. I know all about you. You gave up everything to become what you hate. Attack me and I'll make sure you see just what you gave up for something as pathetic as hate," she told him with a grin. The look in her eyes told him that she was serious and that he also wouldn't like what she would do to him. She was however in his way to what he wanted and refused to move.

"I want that scroll old woman."

"I know you do but I can't let you have it. You see I have a grudge against your master so I can't just let you take this to him now can I. So if you want it you'll have to take it from me. I must warn you though if you try I won't fight you like a shinobi because I'm not one and never have been. I will however fight you like what I am."

"And what are you?"

"Why a witch of course," she said with a smile. Her dark eyes looked into his and sent a chill down his spine. Those eyes seem to be staring straight into his soul and he didn't like the feeling.

"I will have that scroll."

She cackled again, "Then come and take it if you can."

He shrugged and attacked. For the life of him he couldn't explain what happened. All he knew was that he felt unspeakable pain in every part of his body. He hugged himself and fell to his knees with a cry of pain. The last thing he heard before falling into unconsciousness was the old woman's cackling.

He woke up with a major headache. Dark eyes opened slowly and looked around. For some reason he couldn't remember what he was. In fact, he couldn't remember anything. He suddenly stood up and walked over to the water. Looking back at him was a large wolf with bluish black fur. So this was what he looked like. He began to pace as if thinking. Then it stopped and stared in a direction. He felt compelled to run in that direction. After a seconds hesitation it ran without stop.

_----In Konoha----_

Sakura was walking into the village. The pink haired kunoichi was returning from a training mission with some of the rookie ninja. They were deciding which ones had potential as medical nins and preparing them for the training to come. This exhausted Sakura to no end. The kids had so much energy. She wondered how Kakashi-sensei did it because she knew Naruto was enough by himself but there had also been her and... Her thoughts trailed off. She really didn't want to think about him so she didn't.

Green eyes focused on something on the side of the road. It was a large black wolf and it looked hurt. She rushed up to it and gently placed a hand on it. The thick fur was like silk under her hands. After a quick check she didn't find any injuries so that left exhaustion, malnutrition, and dehydration. The medic couldn't just leave him there but he was too big to carry by herself. A quick glance around gave her a solution. There was a cart a few feet away. It just took a few minutes to get the wolf on it and begin to roll it to her house. When she reached her home she carried the dog the rest of the way. The wolf was placed on one of her guest beds so she could reach it better. She checked it one last time then left the room.

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He woke up in a strange place. That's when he remembered. He had passed out from exhaustion. So where was he now? The wolf sat up and looked around. The door opened and a pink haired girl walked in. The wolf's tail wagged unconsciously. He knew this girl or at least thought he did. Never had he found the scent of sakura blossoms so comforting. She smiled at him, "You're awake. That's good. I was afraid you wouldn't make it for a little while."

The wolf just stared back at her. She chuckled and shook her head at herself, "Ya know if anyone heard me right now they would have me committed for talking to a dog. Now you need a name. Let's see."

She tapped her finger against her chin for a moment. The wolf tilted its head to the side as if considering this too. Sakura suddenly smiled, "I know. I'll call you Shadow. Is that alright with you? You see your fur is so dark it reminds me of a shadow."

He nodded his head. A male voice came into her head, 'That sounds nice.'

"Alright. Shadow it is then. I'm Sakura..." She trailed off as it hit her. The dog had just talked. Her green eyes widened in shock, "Did you just talk to me?"

His tongue rolled out in a canine laugh, 'Not exactly. I'm not speaking to you. More like thinking.'

She stared at him, "I must be losing my mind."

'No you're not.'

Sakura shook her head. He really was talking to her. After thinking about it for a moment she shrugged. Kiba's clan could talk to their canines so why not her with Shadow. He didn't seem to be an ordinary wolf anyway so it could be possible. She smiled, "I guess you're right. Where did you come from?"

'I can't remember.'

"Well you're welcome to stay here as long as you like." His tail swayed in happy agreement. Sakura tilted her head in consideration, "You must be hungry. Come with me and I'll get you some food. What do you eat?"

'Whatever wolves eat I guess. For some reason I can't remember anything before yesterday including what I eat.'

"That's ok. I know just the person to go see. He'll know what to get you."

The wolf jumped off the bed and walked along behind her. Sakura smiled at it then walked out the front door. She only knew one person that would know what to feed the wolf so she headed for Kiba. He was training with Akamaru at his clan's compound. When he noticed her, he smiled and waved. Akamaru barked happily and ran over to her. He was huge now. He placed a paw on each of Sakura's shoulders then licked her face once before backing up again. Sakura was laughing. Kiba caught up to his dog with a chuckle, "Akamaru said hello, Sakura."

"I think I guessed that," she chuckled. Then to Akamaru, "Hello, Akamaru. It's nice to see you too."

The large white dog barked happily then it saw the wolf sitting behind Sakura. It's cool dark eyes watching everything that went on as if assessing the situation. Akamaru sniffed at it then growled. Kiba looked down at his friend, "What is it?"

If dogs could grumble then that was what Akamaru did in response. Kiba shook his head at the dog then turned to Sakura, "He doesn't like your friend."

'That's okay. I don't like him either,' the wolf commented.

Sakura waited for Kiba to say something to that. He was normally very protective of Akamaru. But he didn't even look at Shadow. She blinked when she realized that Kiba couldn't understand the wolf. She pretended like he hadn't said anything at all, "Oh, the wolf. I found him on the side of the road nearly dead. His name is Shadow. I was hoping you could help me feed him."

Kiba looked at the dark animal. Dark eyes looked right back at him. Kiba had never seen a wolf like this one. They normally avoided contact with humans at all. This one seemed to want to stay close to Sakura though he did ignore Kiba and Akamaru. Kiba looked back to Sakura, "Sure. I'll help. Just follow me and we'll see what he likes to eat."

Sakura motioned to the wolf to follow them. He did without hesitation. When they walked into the store room for the dogs that Kiba's clan had, Shadow made a bee line for the meat. He paused to look up at Sakura as if asking permission. Sakura looked at Kiba who nodded. The wolf began to eat. Kiba was amazed when he saw it pace itself. It was almost as if Shadow knew if it ate too much then it would just make things worse. It didn't even get hostile with Akamaru when he got real close. Kiba figured that a starving animal, especially a wolf, would have bitten Akamaru immediately. That was another thing, Akamaru was acting strange. His friend was watching the wolf like a hawk but wouldn't tell Kiba why. It was almost as if his companion was judging the wolf before saying anything about it.

After Shadow finished eating his meal, Kiba packed plenty of meat away for a week, and handed it to Sakura. She smiled and thanked him. As they were walking out of the compound Kiba looked over at the pink haired kunoichi. Worry and confusion had him saying, "Shadow is a very strange wolf, Sakura. Please be careful."

Shadow growled, 'I'm not a threat to her idiot.'

Sakura gave Kiba a smile, "Don't worry. I will."

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That night Sakura was just getting out of the shower. Shadow was lying on her bed when he noticed her. He suddenly shot out of the room like a rocket. Sakura stood there for a moment wondering what had gotten into him. She removed her towel and got dressed in a tank top and a pair of shorts. Shadow peeked into the room a few minutes later. She was sitting on her bed reading some reports from the hospital. When he saw that she was dressed he jumped up and sat next to her. She looked at him.

"Why did you run off?"

He looked at her, 'You weren't wearing any clothes.'

She chuckled, "I didn't know animals were sensitive about naked humans."

'I don't think most of them are. The idiot was right about one thing. I'm not normal.'

"You're right about that but I don't think that's a bad thing. I better finish reading these reports. These will be the patients that'll be in my care tomorrow."

She settled back against the pillows and started reading again. Shadow stayed next to her so that he could read what she was doing too. The two just sat like that for a few minutes until Sakura noticed that Shadow's attention wasn't on the reports anymore. He was looking at the pictures on her dresser and desk. He looked over to her.

'Who are those people,' the voice in her head sounded almost curious now.

"Those are my friends from the village. The first one is of Ino and her boyfriend, Shikamaru. Ino is bossy but she's alright once you get use to her. Shikamaru is the laziest ninja in Konoha but he's also a genius. They've been dating for the last year. It surprised everyone including them."

He looked at the next picture then back at her. She smiled, "That's a group picture of Rookie 9. We were all in the same graduating class at the academy. Because there was nine of us we called ourselves Rookie 9. The next picture is of the Sand siblings. Gaara is the red head. He use to be very cruel but he's changed. He's now the youngest Kazekage in the history of Suna."

Shadow looked at the last two pictures. If Sakura didn't know better she could have sworn he looked sad. She told him about the pictures, "The first one is of Naruto, me, and Kakashi-sensei from about a month ago. Naruto is a knuckle head and you would never guess but he's actually one of the strongest ninja in Konoha. Kakashi is known as the copy ninja because he can copy any jutsu but kekkei genkai. He was our sensei after we graduated from the academy and became genin. The other picture is of Team 7. That was my genin team. It was me, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and… him."

The wolf looked back at her with his head tilted to the side. Sakura didn't have to wonder about what he wanted to know. Shadow could talk to her apparently but he didn't say much at all. When he did speak his voice sounded kind of emotionless though some feeling would occasionally slip into his tone. His voice also reminded her of Sasuke's voice. She tried not to think about it. It would only hurt and she was tired of hurting.

She gave a small smile, "I'm sorry. It's been three years and I still can't say his name. You see I love him very much but he didn't feel the same. He cared more about power and revenge then any of us. So he left to join Orochimaru who is an enemy of our village. He left me crying on a park bench and I haven't been able to say his name since."

The dark eyes that looked at her seemed to share her pain. He crawled over to her and placed his head on her lap as if to comfort her. She gave him a watery smile and scratched him behind one of his ears. The medic just relaxed for a moment. When she felt her emotions calm down again she continued to work but Shadow didn't move from his spot until she fell asleep. He laid down next to her and fell asleep himself.

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Sakura was sitting in her living room reading a book. Shadow was curled up at her feet and appeared to be asleep. His ear twitched and he sat up. For a moment he didn't move then he jumped up and rushed to the door. He sat in front of it and waited. Sakura had put her book down to follow him. She hadn't seen him do this before and wanted to make sure everything was alright. Right when she reached the door there was a knock and a familiar voice shouted, "Sakura, open up. It's me."

Sakura gave an indulgent smile and shook her head. Naruto hadn't changed much over the years. He had gotten stronger and maybe even a little wiser but he was still the loudest knucklehead in Konoha. She opened the door to see Naruto standing there with his usual big goofy smile. She smiled, "What is it, Naruto?"

"Me and Kakashi-sensei were going to go train. I came to see if you wanted to come along."

"Alright." She turned to Shadow, "You coming."

In response he stood up and walked past them both. Sakura shut her door and the three of them walked towards the training area. The medic couldn't wait. It has been a while since the three of them had time to train together. This would be the perfect time to catch up and visit with her closest family.

"So Sakura, who's the dog?" Naruto asked her.

Shadow growled slightly in displeasure, 'I am not a dog. Sakura was right you are a knucklehead.'

Sakura chuckled, "He's not a dog, Naruto. Shadow is a wolf. I found him yesterday and he decided to stay with me apperantly."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, Shadow. I didn't know." The blonde looked at his friend with a thoughtful expression, "Sakura, you seem happier today than you were yesterday."

Sakura considered this, "I suppose you're right. I'm sorry if I worried you guys."

"It's not your fault. He's the one that left and hurt everyone," Naruto almost growled the last part. Sakura didn't have to ask who she was talking about. She also knew that Naruto wanted him to come home just as much as she did.

When they arrived Kakashi wasn't there yet which didn't surprise either of them. He was always late. They would probably have died of shock if he showed up on time for a change. Sakura sat down under a tree to relax until Kakashi arrived. Shadow laid down next to her and rested his head on her lap. Without thinking the medic began to scratch him behind his ears. He closed his eyes and his tail began to sway slowly. Naruto watched them with a small smile. Sakura seemed really attached to the dog. He was glad that she had someone around to talk to even if it was a canine.

There was a puff of smoke in front of the two of them and Kakashi appeared. He smiled at both of them, "Hello. Sorry I'm late."

His two students yelled, "You're always late."

After a moment they all busted with laughter. They had been doing this for years. Kakashi was the first to regain control and he noticed Shadow, who was now sitting up. The animal was looking back at him with those dark eyes that reminded Kakashi of someone. The jonin knelt down in front of Shadow and scratched his ear, "Well, well, who do we have here?"

"His name is Shadow," Sakura answered.

"A fitting name. His coat is the right color for it," Kakashi commented.

"Yeah, it's kinda bluish black," Naruto said.

Sakura shrugged, "I found him on the side of the road. He was starving so I took him home."

"I think that's a good thing. He probably makes a great guard dog and good company," Kakashi said as he stood back up.

The pink haired kunoichi nodded in agreement, "He knew Naruto was coming before I did and he understands me when I talk. Umm, Kakashi-sensei, I think he's talking to me occasionally. When I make a comment or ask a question I'll hear his voice in my head. Am I going crazy?"

'I already told you that you're not crazy,' Shadow commented to her. She looked down at him then back at Kakashi.

The jonin looked at the wolf then shook his head, "I don't think so. He looks very intelligent for a wild animal. It's possible that for some reason he can talk to you. He could probably even talk to the rest of us but for some reason chooses not to. We'll see. In the mean time, let's get some training done shall we."

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Over the next few days it became obvious that the wolf was there to stay. You didn't see Sakura without Shadow close behind her. It got to the point where no one even bothered to question it anymore. She even took him to the hospital with her. For his part Shadow seemed to like her but was reserved with anyone else. Sakura still wondered about the talking thing. Kakashi had told her and Naruto to keep that bit of information to themselves for now. He wanted to do some research and see if he could figure out what was going on. As far as they knew only the dogs and wolves that worked with Kiba's clan could actually talk. Then again Kiba himself said that Shadow was a strange animal and his clan made a habit of talking to their animals. If he called Shadow strange then there must be something really different about the wolf.

She didn't know what was different about him but she was grateful to have him around. There were times she would find herself asking for his opinion. The first time she did it she had laughed at herself because how in the world would he know. To her surprise he had answered her in his own way. Before she knew it she was having conversations with him even though he didn't speak. It was almost like he had expressions that told her what he was saying. His movement also helped with conversing with him as well. No one found this strange mostly because they also thought Shadow was an odd wolf. He was also very attached to Sakura.

Shadow really earned his place in Konoha about a week after Sakura had found him. Shikamaru had been placed in charge of another mission and he had requested Sakura as the teams medical nin. They were going on a recovery mission and there could possibly be fighting. Shadow refused to let her leave without him. Since Sakura said that he wouldn't be in the way Tsunade and Shikamaru agreed to let him come without a fuss. The rest of the team consisted of Naruto, Neji, and Hinata.

The mission was to retrieve a prisoner from a group of sound nins. They had captured a Konoha ninja to get information from him. Their job was to save him. Because Shadow was coming with them anyway Shikamaru decided to put him to use. He knelt down and held something that belonged to the shinobi prisoner to the wolf. Shadow sniffed it carefully. When he was sure he had the scent memorized he sat down and stared at everyone.

"Alright, let's head out," Shikamaru ordered.

"Right," everyone said at once.

They found the enemies camp with very little trouble. Shadow had followed the prisoner's sent until they were close enough for Neji's and Hinata's byakugan lead them right to it. The team backed up a few feet so that they could talk. They would have to attack the camp. It was the only way to save the shinobi. Sakura would stay back so that she could treat any injuries they developed during the fight. Everyone agreed and then got into position. They attacked the camp at the same time. One of the sound ninja's somehow managed to get away and was heading right for Sakura. The medical nin was treating the guy who had been captured and had her back turned to the sound nin. She had no idea that someone was coming up behind her. The sound nin decided to use Sakura as a hostage to get him and his team out of there. He had almost reached the pink haired girl when Shadow suddenly attacked him. The wolf fought fiercely to protect the girl. He probably would have killed the shinobi that had dared to attack Sakura if the girl hadn't intervened.

"Shadow, that's enough," Sakura ordered. The wolf stopped but he didn't let his guard down. He watched the sound nin with his teeth bared and low growl emitting from deep in his throat. Needless to say the sound nin decided it would be best if he didn't move.

The Konoha shinobi took the sound nins back to their village for questioning. They were held in a high security prison until they had the chance to talk to them. The team went to bed and the leaf ninja was taken to the hospital.

After that day, no one even questioned Shadow's presence on a mission. He was the perfect protector for Sakura and he had proven that he would protect her. That secured his place in their lives forever. Sakura herself never even considered going on a mission without him again. Shadow seemed perfectly content with the arrangement. Sakura got him a Leaf Village headband to use as a collar. It surprised everyone to find out that she used the one that had belonged to Sasuke. No one objected though. As far as they were concerned Shadow was now an official member of the leaf village shinobi.

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One day Sakura had fallen asleep early because she had just got off of a long shift at the hospital. The moon was rising when Shadow suddenly got up. He didn't know where he was going but he knew he had to be somewhere. When he reached the training area his dark eyes focused on the full moon above him. Suddenly a whimper escaped him and he laid down on the ground. The whimpers and yelps of pain increased then began to change into cries of pain from a human. There on his hands and knees where Shadow had been, was a man.

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There it is. The very first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll get the second chapter posted as soon as possible. Please let me know what you thought of it. 


	2. Orochimaru's Attack

Sorry that this chapter vanished. I don't know how to explain it. anyways i posted it again.

disclaimer: i own nothing

**Ch. 2: Orochimaru's Attack**

The man managed to stand up. His whole body seemed to hurt. Once he was standing he checked himself over for injuries. His hair was the same shade as Shadow's fur. Onyx eyes looked around the area. The only thing he was wearing was a black pair of pants and a leaf village headband with a slash through it.

Stretching muscles he tried to remember what had happened. He remembered waking up as a wolf and everything after that. For some odd reason he couldn't remember anything before that. No matter how he tried he couldn't remember if he was originally a wolf or a man. He couldn't remember what had happened to make him change between the two forms. Hell, he couldn't even remember his name. After a moment he turned and headed back to Konoha. Silently he entered Sakura's room and stood over her bed and watched her sleep.

He couldn't figure it out. Why did he come here? He couldn't contain his emotions nearly as well in his wolf form. So he couldn't deny that he had feelings for this girl. He just didn't know what they were. The minute he saw Sakura he stuck to her like glue. He couldn't help it. It didn't matter that the human side of him couldn't stand being here for some unknown reason. The wolf side wanted to stay near her no matter what. He got the feeling that if he were to leave as a human the wolf would only come back. The human Shadow sighed. He wanted to stay just as much as the wolf though he wanted to deny it. They were after all the same person just in different bodies. If only he could remember why she was important then maybe these feelings would make more sense.

Apparently he made a whisper of sound that had been enough to rouse the sleeping girl. Her green eyes cracked open briefly. He froze. For a moment it looked like she was going to wake up. Instead, she mumbled something Shadow couldn't understand then fell back into sleep. He let out a relieved breath. Things would have been awkward if she had woken up, especially since he was only wearing a pair a pants and a headband around his neck.

The man looked out the window. So he changed into a human during the full moon. That was important. Now if only he could figure out how to change into one of the two forms and stay that way. Surely then he would get his memories back. He looked back down at the girl with pink hair. Sakura was her name. She took care of him and treated him with decency. Some people wouldn't treat a wolf that way. Maybe that was why he was so attached to her. The canine instincts insisted that he return her kindness with loyalty. For now he would stay. That would be best because then she could take care of him while he figured out this curse. He also decided against letting anyone know he wasn't actually a wolf. They were just getting around to trusting him. If they found out he was a human than that might change again.

The human Shadow began to explore the village and the area around it. Getting to know all of his surroundings seemed very important to him for some reason. By the time he had finished that the moon was setting and he had returned to the training area. He stood there looking up at the moon.

"Who am I?" his voice was hoarse as if he hadn't used it in a while.

The moon didn't answer him. It just sank below the horizon. He suddenly cried out in pain and fell to his knees. His body began the transformation from human to wolf. The cries turned into whines and yelps. Then there was only the steady panting of the wolf laying in the center of the clearing.

A few minutes passed and Kakashi decided to come out. He looked down at Shadow with sympathy. The jonin didn't tell the wolf that he had seen everything. Instead he said, "What are you doing way out here Shadow? Better take you home. If Sakura wakes up and you're not there she'll worry."

Shadow stood up shakily and followed Kakashi to Sakura's home. After Kakashi made sure the wolf got inside without any trouble he walked back to his own apartment. He stared at the rising sun. His voice held pity when he said, "Well, this is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into Shadow. Hopefully you can figure your way out of it."

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Sakura woke up the next morning and started her usual routine. She took her shower and laughed when Shadow bolted from the room when she walked out in only a towel. He seemed more like a human male that was embarrassed at seeing a girl without clothes on than a wolf. After she was dressed she made herself breakfast and fed Shadow. He munched happily as she read the reports from the hospital so she would know what needed her attention first when she got there. Then she cleaned up the dishes and they headed off to the hospital.

The other medical nins and nurses greeted her and Shadow as they walked down the hall together. A few hours later during lunch Sakura made sure she was alone with Shadow. Her face suddenly held a hint of pain and sadness.

"I had the weirdest dream last night," her voice was barely above a whisper. Shadow tilted his head to ask what it had been. So she told him, "I dreamed that he came back. Sasuke-kun had come back. He was standing next to my bed. It was odd. You know what I noticed first? He wasn't wearing a shirt. I still don't understand where that had come from."

Shadow was very glad that dogs didn't have facial expressions. As a dog he couldn't blush or look ashamed. She must have seen him next to her bed and thought he had been her missing friend. He looked at her, 'What happened to him?'

She looked down at him, "That's right. I haven't told you have I? Alright. I'll tell you about Sasuke-kun."

Sakura told him everything she knew. Silent tears fell from her eyes unnoticed by the girl. If she had noticed them she would have been angry at herself. Sakura had promised herself that she was through crying. Her voice remained steady as she spoke about what had happened but her hands were fisted in her lap.

Shadow listened without comment. It was obviously a very painful subject for her. She hadn't been able to even say his name the last time the topic came up. When Sakura finished the story silence fell around them. Personally, Shadow thought the guy was an idiot but that could the the wolf talking. Wolves relied on their pack in order to survive, so the idea of being alone wasn't that appealing. These people were annoying but they meant well. They cared about each other and would die for their team. That made them worth something to a wolf.

Sakura stood up and smiled at him, "We better get going. I still have patients to see."

_----------With Naruto----------_

Naruto was relieved Sakura was obviously getting back on her feet finally. She had been sad for three years and that had worried all her friends. The blonde was glad to know that she was improving now. Who have thought that all she needed was a dog to help her. If Naruto had known that then he would have gotten her one a long time ago. Then again Shadow wasn't an ordinary dog. Shadow was intelligent and very loyal to the girl he chose to stay with. Not to mention he could talk to Sakura. Whether he could talk to anyone else or not was still unknown.

Naruto had always known that Sakura would never get over Sasuke. His teammate hadn't had a single date though not for lack of interested guys. She just thought it was unfair to go on a date with them when she couldn't love them. She loved Sasuke end of story. He had realized it shortly after he had gotten back from training. Before he had left with Jiraiya to train, Naruto had thought if he was better than Sasuke then Sakura would pay attention to him but she wouldn't. The girl would never want anyone other than Sasuke no matter what they did. Naruto accepted that and moved on. He was still Sakura's friend but he no longer held any desire to be more than that.

"Naruto-kun," a familiar voice called him.

A grin spread on his face as he turned to face, Hinata. She had really grown. Her basic personality was still the same. She was always shy and tended to be quiet but she no longer let people walk all over her. She would occasionally even let what she wanted come before what someone else wanted. Hinata was still too kind to let that happen often though.

Naruto had a feeling that he was developing feelings for her that went beyond friendship. Whenever he was around her he suddenly felt very happy. Not that he wasn't happy all the time, it was just different when Hinata was near him. He found that he couldn't bring himself to care too much about it.

Hinata smiled, "Hello, Naruto-kun. Neji says that there's been news on Orochimaru. I came to get you so you could hear it."

Naruto nodded, "Let's go then."

_----------Outside Konoha----------_

A group of shinobi stood on a hill over looking the leaf village. There was five of them all together. One was a really large man with orange hair. Another carried the sword that had once belonged to Zabuza. He had silver hair and ice blue eyes. There was a red headed girl with eyes the same color. Another boy with silver hair and black eyes. The last member of the group was a chilling figure. He had black oily looking hair and snake like eyes. When he looked at you it made uncontrollable chills run up your spine and a cold sweat break out on your skin.

"Are you sure he's here?" the snake man demanded.

"Yes, sir. His chakra is coming from this village. I've already told you that something is wrong with it though. It's...distorted. It feels like his chakra but it's not at the same time," the girl said.

"Well there's only one way to know for sure then. Let's go."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," everyone replied.

_----------Meanwhile in the Hokage's Office----------_

When they arrived there was already a group in the Hokage's office. There was Shikamaru, Ino, Kakashi, Neji, Rock Lee, Guy, Sai, Sakura, and, of course, Shadow. Everyone was talking amongst themselves as they waited on the meeting to begin. Tsunade demanded everyone's attention.

"Now that Naruto and Hinata are here we can get started. We've received news from Suna that Orochimaru is on the move again. For some reason he's chosen to come out now of all times. No one knows what he's planning so every village is to warn everyone about him and what he's capable of."

"Umm...do you know if...if he has Sasuke with him?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade looked at Sakura in understanding and Naruto placed a supporting hand on her shoulder. Kakashi stepped up next to her. She wasn't fooling anyone and she really wasn't trying to. Everyone knew that she still cared for Sasuke and always would. Shadow looked up at her and seemed to sense her worry. He moved closer to her and laid his head on her lap. She absently scratched him behind her ear and seemed to draw strength from him.

The Hokage shook her head, "Sorry, Sakura but we don't know. As far as anyone knows he only has Kabuto with him and three other ninja but we don't know their names. None of them is Sasuke."

Sakura looked down, "I don't know what to think of that."

"Neither do we. To be honest it worries us but that can't be our only concern. If Orochimaru is on the move then he's probably going to attack someone soon. We have to be prepared for..." She was interrupted by a large explosion coming from out side the village. "…something like that."

Everyone rushed outside to see what was going on. They reached the area where the explosion came from and saw Orochimaru's group. Everyone's guard went up immediately and there were glares all around directed at the group there.

"It's been a long time, Tsunade," Orochimaru stated with a smirk.

"What do you want you snake?" she demanded.

"Sasuke."

This made everyone blink in surprise. The Konoha ninja exchanged glances as they began to wonder if Orochimaru had lost his mind. Not that they didn't think he had been crazy to begin with. It was just now he was apparently imagining things. Sakura glared at him, "Don't play games with us. Sasuke is with you."

"I'm afraid Sasuke has left me and his chakra is here in your village. Now hand him over and we'll leave peacefully."

"He's not here," Naruto snapped at him.

"His chakra is here," the girl behind Orochimaru stated.

"You're imagining things because Sasuke Uchiha isn't here," Kakashi stated calmly.

Orochimaru shrugged, "Have it your way then. Tear the village apart and find Sasuke."

The group behind the snake rushed out to attack. The Konoha ninjas weren't going to allow them to just waltz into their village and destroy things however. The fight began. Shadow stuck close to Sakura who, for some reason, ended up fighting the red head. The two girls seemed to be evenly matched as far as skill went but Sakura had been trained by Tsunade. She had more skill than the girl she was fighting. The two ended up in a dead lock with kunai.

"Who are you and what makes you think Sasuke is here?" Sakura demanded.

"My name is Karin. I can feel his chakra. I know he's not just here. He's in this fight."

Sakura's eyes widened but she didn't look around, "He's not here. Look around you. Do you see him anywhere? If you do then you're seeing things because Sasuke isn't here and he'll probably never come back here."

The girl's eyes narrowed and then darted around the fight. Sakura was right. Sasuke was no where to be found. His chakra was in the area but he wasn't. How was that possible? Then again something was wrong with the chakra. She didn't know what was wrong just that something was. It didn't feel right. Maybe they were wrong. The chakra might be Sasuke's but that didn't mean that Sasuke was here. Then again it was impossible to separate someone's chakra from them. Stop it yes but not get rid of it.

Karin glanced over Sakura's shoulder as she saw Kabuto aiming a weapon. He was going to get the Konoha medic from behind. That was good. Then she could concentrate on finding Sasuke. Just when Kabuto was about to throw the kunai, a large black dog attacked him. Then the animal ran towards Sakura and Karin. The next thing Karin knew she was flying backwards and slamming into a tree.

"Thanks, Shadow. I was worried for a second there," Sakura said to the dog. She seemed to hear something Karin couldn't and shook her head, "I don't know if it's good news or not. We'll talk about it after we've finished getting rid of these people."

The dog nodded then turned back to Karin with bared teeth. Sakura looked at Karin, "He says he'll give you a head start since you're handicapped."

Karin's temper ignited, "How am I handicapped?!"

Sakura grinned, "Well, can you out run a wolf? You have ten seconds."

The wolf as Sakura called him let out a deep growl and if Karin didn't know better she would have sworn he looked like he was enjoying himself. The look in its eyes sent chills down Karin's spine. She jumped up and ran. That wolf scared her especially since she felt Sasuke's chakra emanating from him. Someone had taken Sasuke's chakra and placed it inside that wolf. But how and why? She rushed up to Orochimaru and told him what she had found out. Shadow hid so that he could hear what she said. He knew his friend would want to know what they knew.

"Then let's get out of here. We'll have to find Sasuke some other way. Once we locate him we can find a way to give him back his chakra." Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, "It's suppose to be impossible to take away someone's chakra."

The group left to think of a new way to locate the missing Uchiha. The Konoha shinobi stood there for a moment after Orochimaru had left. They couldn't believe what they had just found out. Sasuke was missing. Shadow told Sakura what Orochimaru and Karin suspected. She clued everyone else in. After a few seconds of absolute silence Tsunade and Sakura began treating the injured.

Naruto risked asking a question that he knew would upset his teammate, "Granny Tsunade, is it possible to live without your chakra? I mean every time someone uses up too much they pass out for days. Can you live without it?"

"Normally no. But this is different. Sasuke didn't use up all of his chakra. It was taken from him. I could have the same affect as Neji's 64 palm attack. He would be alright but unable to use chakra." She looked over as Shadow, "Are you sure they said Sasuke's chakra was inside you?"

He nodded.

"They'll try to take Shadow now. They might wait until they know if Sasuke is still alive or not but..."

Sakura interrupted, "They can't have him. If they want Shadow they'll have to go through me first."

The medic had thrown her arms around the wolf's neck and was glaring in the direction Orochimaru had gone in. She wouldn't let him have Shadow. He may be just a wolf to the snake but Shadow was her friend. Sakura would protect him no matter what. Shadow let her hug him. He wasn't and overly affectionate animal but he understood Sakura was. She was, of course, the only one allowed to be affectionate towards him. He would growl at anyone else that tried and had actually snapped at Naruto once when the blonde didn't take the hint. Then Shadow thought of something.

'What if your friend will die without this thing you call chakra? He might still be alive but won't last long without this chakra,' he asked Sakura.

Sakura's eyes widened. She hadn't considered that. What if it killed Shadow to remove the chakra from him? Would Sasuke die if they didn't? Then she thought of all the things this wolf had done for her. He listened to her when she needed to talk. He was a voice of reason when she needed one. Shadow always protected her even if it put himself in danger. What had Sasuke done for her? He had made her cry again and again. He abandoned their village and joined the man that tried to kill them all. The jerk had left her crying on a park bench after knocking her out. Sure Sasuke saved her once or twice but did that really out weight the bad things? Then again she loved Sasuke. She knew it. Contrary to popular belief she wasn't in denial. Sakura just chose not to dwell on it most of the time.

Her green eyes got a determined look in them and her voice was fierce, "I won't sacrifice you for anything or anyone. If we can remove the chakra from you safely then we'll give Sasuke back his chakra. Otherwise we'll have to come up with something else. You're my friend Shadow so I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"What did he say, Sakura?" Naruto asked.

Instead of answering Sakura looked at Tsunade, "Sensei, is it possible to remove the chakra from Shadow without hurting him?"

"I don't know. I'd have to do some research on it and see."

"I won't allow the chakra to be removed from him until we know. No matter what," Sakura informed them.

Kakashi tilted his head. From what she said he guessed what Shadow had asked. So the jonin asked, "Even at the cost of Sasuke's life?"

Sakura looked at Shadow. He just gazed back at her. She got the feeling he was expecting her to say no. They thought that she would say that she would allow it if it would kill Sasuke not to. She met the wolf's dark gaze with her own determined one, "Yes. Even at the cost of Sasuke's life. I won't sacrifice Shadow for anything or anyone. I won't like it and will probably hate myself but I can't let Shadow get killed for something that is beyond his control.

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Please let me know what you think


	3. Confusing Memories

Finished it finally. Sorry it took so long but I had a writer's block. I think I've gotten over it though. I'll let you get to reading since you've waited so long.

disclaimer: I own nothing...in this story anyways

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**Ch. 3: Confusing Memories**

Sakura's decision had surprised everyone and she wouldn't back down. She may love Sasuke but Shadow had done too much for her to sacrifice him for Sasuke. Shadow was just as surprised as everyone else. He knew how she felt about this Sasuke person. He wondered why that name sounded so familiar and it wasn't just because Sakura had mentioned him before. The people all seemed familiar too. When he heard or saw something that connected to this Sasuke person it was like déjà vu.

He was also having dreams. The people of this village were in them. One of the most reoccurring ones confused him. He would see nothing but black but he heard things that evoked the worst kind of feelings. He was saying goodbye to someone that mattered to him. To say that he felt pain was an understatement. What he felt went far beyond pain. He wanted to die on the spot because death of any kind would have been a relief from the feelings. Then all he would hear was a voice asking him to stay but he was refusing for some unknown reason. It made him wake up and if he was a human he would have been in a cold sweat. Fortunately, he was a wolf during all this so there wasn't any evidence that he had any nightmares. He was glad because he didn't want to worry Sakura.

One morning Shadow went somewhere without Sakura for the first time since his arrival. He went to visit Kakashi. If there was a time to find out if he could communicate with others now would be the time. He needed advice and he hoped that the jonin could give it to him. If he couldn't talk to Kakashi as a wolf then he would have to reveal to someone that he was a person. The nightmares were getting worse and he wanted to know where they were coming from. The full moon was tonight so he should turn into a man again. If he couldn't talk to Kakashi now then he would tonight.

The copy ninja put his book down when he heard a scratch at his door. Curiously he opened it and saw the dark wolf that had become a permanent part of life in Konoha. He grinned, "Well, hello, Shadow. Come in. How can I help you?"

Shadow padded in and sat on his hunches. He tilted his head and wondered how to do this. With Sakura it just happened. He never thought about it. Oh well, wouldn't know until he tried. The wolf concentrated briefly and when nothing happened let out a growl of frustration. He then walked over to Kakashi's bed and jumped up on it. He then laid down and proceeded to take a nap. It would be a long night.

Kakashi didn't know what to make of the wolf's actions but shrugged it off. He would find out soon enough he supposed. Sakura did stop by after her shift at the hospital looking for the wolf. She had been very relieved to find him at Kakashi's. Kakashi couldn't understand what Shadow told her but she eventually nodded and said she would see him in the morning. The pink haired girl walked in the direction of her home.

It was shortly before the sun set that Shadow started trying to get Kakashi to follow him. The jonin was just curious enough not to protest. Shadow lead him to the training area just when the moon began to rise. That's when Kakashi realized what he was doing. Shadow was showing him the truth. He sat back and watched at the transformation took place. Kakashi winced at the cries of pain. Soon the only sound in the clearing was the panting of the human Shadow. After a few minutes he stood up shakily. Kakashi moved forward and helped him.

Shadow's voice was scratchy as if he hadn't used it in awhile, "Sorry if I surprised you. Sakura is the only one I can talk to so I had to talk to you this way."

"Don't worry. I already knew," Kakashi replied.

The man smirked, "For some reason that doesn't surprise me though I can't tell you why."

The copy ninja shrugged, "I'm just that good. Why did you decide to tell me now?"

"I need help."

Kakashi nodded, "I thought so. What's wrong, Shadow?"

"I've been having dreams...that's not right...they're nightmares. I'm running from someone who's crying for me. There's blood on my hands. I think it belongs to someone important to me but I can't remember. I'm angry but I'm also so sad that it's weighing me down. It's like I'm at war with myself." Shadow raked his fingers through his hair. "I don't understand what's going on."

Kakashi eyed the frustrated boy in front of him then sat back with a thoughtful expression. The copy ninja knew what was going on but what to do about it was the question. How much should he tell Shadow or anyone else for that matter? If he didn't handle this right then things could go seriously wrong. His dark gaze met Shadow's.

"Tell me everything about the dreams and don't leave out any details."

Shadow sat down and got started. He told Kakashi about a boy with dark hair and eyes learning a technique from his father. The wolf talked about the same boy walking into his home to find everyone he cared about had been killed by someone that he had trusted. Shadow mentioned the uncontrollable hatred and the loss of something he couldn't put a name to. He mentioned someone crying for him and for a brief moment he had considered answering her before leaving anyway.

Kakashi listened without making any comment. He knew what the dreams were after Shadow had told him about the first two but he wanted to hear them all. When Shadow finished Kakashi gave a thoughtful frown. What to say? How much should Shadow know right now?

Finally he said carefully, "Those are Sasuke Uchiha's memories."

"How did I get them?"

"It's possible that you are Sasuke or having his chakra gave you his memories. I'm not sure which since both are possible."

"Don't you know what this Sasuke looks like?" Shadow asked impatiently.

"You resemble him. However it's been three years since I've seen him and there's no telling what kind of effects we should expect with you having Sasuke's chakra. For all I know having his chakra could give your human form a similar appearance to him."

The boy began to pace. He didn't understand and it frustrated him. The dreams were full of things he didn't understand and there was a possibility he was the person who had betrayed Sakura. There was a chance he was the reason she was so sad now. That thought alone made him feel annoyed. He thought more like a wolf than a person and wolves hated disloyalty. It was one of the worst crimes in their world because they depended on each other for everything. They hunted together, ate together, slept together, and well you get the idea. The idea of betrayal made him want to growl. The idea that he would betray someone made him want to hide himself in shame.

Kakashi watched him with interest. He saw the disgust in Shadow's eyes when he heard that there was a possibility that he could be Sasuke. He wondered about that but didn't say anything. The copy ninja couldn't wait to see how he would react when he got his memory back. The copy ninja considered everything and knew the secret couldn't be kept. The first time either Naruto or Sakura saw Shadow's human form they would know who he was.

"Do you mind if I inform the others about this?"

Shadow considered this for a moment, "Will it change anything?"

"I don't know."

The wolf let out a sigh and shook his head, "I suppose not."

"Good. Let's start with Sakura. She at least deserves the truth if nothing else."

Shadow nodded glumly. He was afraid how she would react when she found out that he could be Sasuke. She loved Sasuke but he had hurt her very badly and the wolf knew very well that sometimes love just wasn't enough. The wolf followed behind Kakashi as the jonin led the way to the medic's house. It took only a few seconds for Sakura to answer the door. When she saw Kakashi she gave him a confused smile. He stepped out of the way and her green eyes landed on Shadow. The wolf watched her eyes widen in surprise and then narrow as she glared at him.

"What's he doing here?" she said in an icy tone. Sakura admitted to herself that she still loved Sasuke Uchiha. That didn't mean she was going to let him get off easy for leaving.

"It's not what you think, Sakura. This is Shadow," Kakashi explained.

The medic blinked, "What?"

The wolf stepped forward, "Please, Sakura, let me explain."

"I'm listening."

"I change forms during the night of the full moon. The rest of the time I'm a wolf. I really don't remember anything before the day you found me. Kakashi said that there is a chance that I..." Shadow paused then drew in a deep breath and continued, "That I'm Sasuke. He also said the resemblance could be just because I have his chakra. I can't remember which form is my true form. All I know is that I can speak with you no matter what form I'm in and I need to here."

Sakura considered him for a moment then nodded, "I believe you."

He relaxed and gave her a small smile. She looked surprised but smiled in return.

"We're going to the hokage right now to explain the situation to her but we figured you should know first."

Sakura's eyes focused on her sensei, "You do know the truth don't you?"

"Yes. He doesn't and I don't think he should yet. There's a reason he can't remember anything. I don't want to tamper with anything until I know how he ended up in this situation. Can you handle it?"

She nodded, "Shadow will continue to stay with me. I meant what I said. I don't care what I have to do. I will help Shadow."

Shadow looked between the two wondering what they knew that he didn't. It was obvious that he was missing something very important. "Not to interrupt but are you going to clue me in on what's going on?"

"I think it's best you don't know yet, Shadow. There's a reason you can't remember and it's always best not to tamper with these things," Kakashi said.

Sakura smiled and took Shadow's hand, "Don't worry, Shadow. Everything will work out. I'll do everything I can to help you."

He looked at her and nodded.

"Let's go to the hokage's tower. Tsunade-sama should hear about this," Kakashi stated.

They had to wake her up much to Tsunade's annoyance. Kakashi ordered Shadow to wait outside while they explained everything to the hokage. The wolf obeyed silently.

"Alright, what's going on?" Tsunade demanded.

"Sasuke is back," Kakashi replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Tsunade blinked, "Are you joking?"

"No."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her sensei, "Let me explain, Shishou. Shadow is Sasuke. He just doesn't know it. He had no memory of himself as a person."

"So how do you know he's Sasuke?" Tsunade asked.

"It turns out Shadow turns into a human during a full moon. His human form is identical to Sasuke Uchiha. He has Sasuke's chakra. He's also started having dreams that I've identified as Sasuke's memories. Somehow he got turned into a wolf and lost his memory," Kakashi explained.

"Well, that would certainly explain a lot, like his attachment to Sakura," Tsunade said thoughtfully as she leaned back.

Sakura blushed and looked away, "Sasuke was never attached to me."

The two older shinobi looked at her with identical expressions of disbelief. Neither bothered to correct her. If Sasuke ever had a soft spot for anyone it was Sakura. He had just chosen revenge over his feelings for her. Tsunade returned her attention to Kakashi.

"He doesn't seem to have Sasuke's personality," she commented.

"Some of his traits are still there. Shadow doesn't speak much or show a great deal of emotion. He's also very protective of his friends," Sakura stated.

"Yes but Shadow smiles. Sasuke would die before even thinking about doing that. Shadow is a little more open as well. I think it's because he had no memories. Sasuke was the way he was because of what happened to his clan. Without that memory driving him he's not the same," Kakashi added.

Tsunade nodded, "What do we do about this?"

"I think we should keep the information to ourselves for now. Shadow has no idea who he is. No one should be able to find out about his transformations since they only take place once a month. Meanwhile, we can to some research to find out what happened to him. It isn't a jutsu but I can't tell what caused this to happen."

Tsunade nodded and turned to Sakura, "Can he stay with you?"

She nodded, "It didn't matter if he did remember anything or not. I would never turn my back on Sasuke or Shadow."

Tsunade grinned, "This discovery is a relief though."

"How so?" Sakura asked.

"Well, we were wondering if Sasuke could live without his chakra since we thought it was inside of Shadow. Now that we know they're the same person we no longer have to worry about that."

Sakura smiled, "I'd forgotten about that."

"Well, bring him in so I can take a look," Tsunade ordered.

Sakura opened the door, "Shadow."

He looked over at her.

"Tsunade-sama is ready to see you know."

He followed her inside. Tsunade's eyes widened when she saw him. Kakashi grinned, "I told you about his appearance."

"I know but it's still a surprise. He doesn't remember anything?"

"No he doesn't," Shadow answered. It annoyed him that they were talking like he couldn't hear them. It didn't help that he had already been annoyed because they knew something he didn't.

Everyone gave him a grin. Tsunade let out a chuckle, "Sorry about that, Shadow. I'm use to you not being able to speak to me."

He nodded while regarding Tsunade with piercing black eyes. She couldn't get over how much he looked like Sasuke. Then she realized she was thinking of him as Shadow, not Sasuke.

"Now, down to business You'll be staying with Sakura as usual. We'll all be doing research to find out what's happened to you. For now we've decided not to tell anyone about your transformation or the chance that you could be Sasuke."

He nodded again.

"Any questions?"

"If I am Sasuke. What will happen to me?"

She blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Sasuke was a traitor, right?"

She nodded.

"The punishment for a traitor is death, right?"

She nodded again.

"So what will happen if it turns out that I'm Sasuke Uchiha? Will I be punished by death for his crimes?"

Tsunade frowned, "I can't answer that, Shadow. It depends on you."

He nodded, "I thought so."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Sakura looked at him. He seemed alright but, even as a wolf, he didn't display a lot of emotions. Shadow could be troubled and she would never know about it. They left the Hokage's tower and returned to Sakura's house. Kakashi said goodnight and headed back to his own home. Sakura turned to the wolf.

"Are you alright, Shadow?"

"I'm fine. Just...worried."

She nodded, "Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

He nodded, "I know."

She smiled. Shadow returned the smile with a small one of his own. He looked at the moon. It was almost time for his transformation. "I need to get out of the village to change."

She nodded, "Then let's go."

"You don't have to come."

"I know but I want to."

They walked into the training grounds. Sakura gave a bittersweet smile, "This is where we passed our initiation test to become genin. I was so happy then because I was on Sasuke's team. Naruto was his usual knuckleheaded self. Sasuke kept his distance from everyone. As time passed we got closer and I even thought we were friends. Those were good times."

Shadow glanced at her. She was sad and he wanted to comfort her. "Sakura...I don't know Sasuke. I do know that the most painful memory I have of his is of leaving the village. He's hurting because he had to leave you. You were his friend."

She smiled and hugged Shadow, "Thank you."

Before Shadow could respond the moon sank beneath the horizon and he let out a cry of pain. Sakura backed away as he changed. Before she knew it a wolf lay in the clearing panting for breath. She stayed by his side until her could walk. They went back home and got some sleep. Shadow fell asleep thinking, 'Who am I?'

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Let me know what you think.


	4. The Old Witch

I've finished this chapter. Now I hope you guys enjoy it. I'll get the next chapter up asap

Disclaimer: I already told you i own nothing not even shadow since he's technically sasuke

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**Ch. 4: The Old Witch  
**

One dark night, an old lady walked into Konoha. She kept her snow white hair in a bun and her dark eyes looked at the world as if she were laughing at its foolishness. She hobbled slightly as older people tend to do but she didn't appear to be helpless. One the contrary, people were instinctively afraid of her. She wore nothing to indicate that she was or ever had been a shinobi. Her clothes had seen better days but they didn't looked like rags just yet. She had a cane made of wood that appeared to be poorly carved. The only thing of value she carried was a necklace with a ruby pendant in the shape of a six pointed star.

The old lady paused in front of a house and cackled, "So this is where he lives now. I can't wait to see if how he's doing now."

--

Sakura woke up and stretched. She glanced over at the darked furred wolf laying next to her. 'What could have happened to him?' she wondered. 'Who turned him into a wolf and why?' She would probably never know the answers to these questions. In the two months that shadow had been here he still hadn't remembered anything. The medic wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. All she knew was that she was determined to help him and that this time she wouldn't let him go. She didn't care what she had to do but he would stay home this time. Even if she had to tie him up and stuff him in a closet. Sakura considered that thought and shook her head. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Sakura slid out of the bed and got into the shower. When she came out Shadow was awake and sitting by the window. As usual when he saw her in a towel he shot out of the room like a rocket. She couldn't help but laugh. Sure she could get dress in the bathroom but this was entirely too funny. She just couldn't miss the opportunity. Sakura got dressed and headed down stairs.

After they had eaten, the two of them walked through the village towards the hospital. Sakura frowned when she saw an old woman she didn't recognize. The lady watched her and Shadow as they passed. If Sakura didn't know better she would swear the old woman recognized Shadow. Though Sakura believed that she was imaging things because there was no way a stranger could know who Shadow was...could she? Of course not. Even the rest of the village didn't recognize him. How in the world would a complete stranger know that Shadow was Sasuke.

Shadow watched the old woman carefully. For some reason she seemed familiar but he wasn't sure why. Then again this could be another case where Sasuke's memories were coming into play. Shadow was no longer sure if he was Sasuke or Shadow. If he remembered something he could never be sure if it was his memory or this unknown man's. Then again he could be Sasuke. Then these were his memories. God he hoped not. Shadow did not want to be Sasuke Uchiha. From what he had heard and remembered Sasuke was a jerk that wouldn't know a good life if it bit him. If Sasuke had any brain at all he would have stayed in Konoha instead of running off.

The old woman cackled as she watched Shadow and Sakura go through their day, "Well, deary. It looks like you can see clearly without your memories. I think it's time I speak to you personally. But not as a wolf." She pointed at Shadow and began to whisper, "When night fall call on me. Then what once was be again."

Shadow felt something strange come over him but then it was gone. He chose to ignore it as he followed Sakura home. She had had a bad day at the hospital and needed his support. A team had returned from a mission that day and they hadn't been in good shape. One of them hadn't made it at all. The other two were still in critical condition. Sakura had done everything she could but she was still down about it.

Shadow laid beside her on the bed as she read the charts to decide what could be done tomorrow for the surviving two. The sun went down and suddenly he had the urge to go out. It was just like it had been the first time he had transformed only stronger. He stood and licked Sakura's hand to get her attention. She looked at him curiously.

"What is it, Shadow?"

'I don't know. Something is calling me.'

"Is it safe? Should we get Kakashi?"

He shook his head, 'I don't think it's dangerous. I have to go. It won't let me rest until I do.'

"Alright but I'm coming with you."

He nodded then jumped down. Sakura followed her four legged friend through the village until they reached the training grounds. They both stopped when they saw the old woman standing there. She turned to them and cackled.

"Well, I see you brought your friend with you. That's excellent. I wanted to meet her anyway."

Sakura was about to say something when a yelp caught her attention. She looked over as saw Shadow was laying down in pain. She rushed over to him then glared at the old woman.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

The woman smiled, "I'm triggering his transformation, deary. I thought you'd be happy."

Sakura's eyes widened. When she looked back at Shadow she saw that the woman was right. Shadow's fur seemed to be getting shorter and his body was changing shape before her eyes. The whole process had to be painful because he was crying out in pain the entire time. When it was finished Shadow laid there panting for breath. Sakura quickly looked away because he had no clothes on. Now she knew how he felt whens he came out of the bathroom. The old woman snapped fingers and Shadow suddenly had clothes on.

Sasuke got shakily to his feet and glared at the old woman, "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing really. I just wanted to see how you were doing these days. So how are you doing?"

He suppressed the urge to growl. In his current form it wouldn't be as effective anyway. He felt someone stand beside him to help keep him standing. His dark eyes focused on Sakura. She gave him an encouraging smile. She didn't know. He looked back at the old lady.

"Why now? It's been two months."

"I wanted to see if you've learned anything. Tell me what you believe is important now," the old woman ordered. She was suddenly very serious as she focused on Sasuke with a those penetrating dark eyes.

"The same thing. I want to get him. He will pay for what he did to me."

"Then you've learned nothing. What a pity. I guess I'll leave you for a few more weeks and see what happens. Though I will make one small change."

"What is going on here?" Sakura demanded.

The old woman looked at her with a smile, "It's very simple deary. I'm a witch and I've cursed your man over there. He'll have to live as a dog until he's learned that power is not the best way and somethings are more valuable that revenge." She turned to Sasuke, "Think carefully, Sasuke Uchiha. If you ever want these transformations to stop then you'd better catch on."

Sasuke was about to say something but there was a cloud of smoke and then she was gone. Neither of the two said a word for a moment. Sakura turned to face him and looked at him very carefully. There was a look in Shadow's eyes that hadn't been there earlier. He must remember. It was the only explanation.

"You remember everything now, don't you Sasuke-kun?"

He nodded, "I don't know how long it will last. The moment the sun rises I'll be a wolf again. I still might not remember anything in that form."

"What do you want to do?"

He faced her now. Sasuke still had Shadow's memories. He remembered the wolf's bad opinion of him. Sakura had been there to help and support him just like she always had been. The still didn't change anything. His clan was still dead and Itachi was still out there. Sasuke had made a promise that he would avenge his clan no matter what. Even if he had to leave everything else behind. All that mattered was getting Itachi.

"I want to find Itachi."

"I don't think that's possible until you break your curse."

"Then I'll break the curse."

"How?"

He looked away. How was he suppose to know. The woman only said that he had to learn something. She never really said what he had to learn.

Sakura knew that he didn't know. If he did then he would already be gone. So she released a sigh and prepared to do something she knew she would regret. The medic sat down and motioned for Sasuke to do the same. Once they were seated she looked at him.

"Tell me what happened."

He did. She listened carefully as he told her about the day he was cursed. She now knew what it was the old woman wanted Sasuke to learn. He wasn't going to like it.

"She wants you to want to stay here more than you want revenge."

He glared, "What makes you say that?"

"Think about it, Sasuke-kun. She said that you would remain cursed until you learned that some things are more important that revenge and power isn't the best way. The only way for you to free yourself is to want something more than you want revenge."

Sasuke looked up at the sky. He only had a few hours until dark. Could he admit that there was one thing that he could value more than revenge? Could he give up everything for just one person? The witch wasn't giving him much of a choice. He looked at Sakura.

"That might not be as hard as you think," he stated.

She looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"

He shook his head, "It's nothing. Do me a favor."

"What?"

"If I don't remember anything after I transform tell Shadow who I am. I don't like being confused even as a wolf. Orochimaru will com looking for me. Make sure you don't leave Shadow's sight."

"Shadow doesn't let me. I hope you'll be alright

Sasuke sighed and looked at the sky. The moon was setting. His time was almost up. The Uchiha pushed himself to his feet. Sakura stood in front of him as she waited for an answer. She was getting the impression she was going to be waiting for a while. The moon sank below the horizon and Sasuke felt the pain of the transformation take hold. Then his world went black.

--

Shadow woke up with a huge headache. Then he heard Sakura's voice and whimpered.

"Thank god you're alright." She hugged him. "I was so worried. Do you remember anything?"

He looked around and saw that they were still in the training field. However the sun was up and he knew it had just turned dark when they had arrived there. 'No. What happened?'

Sakura let out a sigh, "Shadow, I have something to tell you. I don't think you'll like it."

--

The old woman cackled, "Well Sasuke Uchiha. Will you learn anything this time around or will you be doomed to see everything you want and can't have forever? I didn't tell you this but you will end up in one of your two forms permanently. If you don't break the curse you'll be in a wolf's body for eternity. You have one more month. What will happen I wonder." She cackled again as she watched the wolf and the young woman in the clearing.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know will ya.


	5. Choices

Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

**Ch. 5: Choices  
**

Shadow didn't want to believe it. He was Sasuke. It couldn't be. Sasuke wanted revenge more than anything else in the world. Shadow wanted Sakura's happiness. Sasuke wanted to leave. Shadow wanted to stay. The wolf simply couldn't believe that he was the same man that would give up Sakura to join a man that wanted him dead. Orochimaru had threatened everything that mattered to him. How could he have joined that man?

'Are you sure?' he asked.

"Yes," Sakura replied simply. "I'm sorry, Shadow. Sasuke-kun also said that Orochimaru might come after you. He wants you to protect me."

Shadow looked up at her and nodded. At least he and Sasuke agreed on that. Sakura must be protected at all costs. Shadow frowned. His real problem was that he didn't understand Sasuke. The boy had given up everything in the name of revenge. Shadow knew that Sasuke loved Sakura and that Naruto was his best friend. The Uchiha had respected and looked up to Kakashi. Yet...he had still betrayed them. He couldn't understand it. Maybe it was time he tried.

'Can you take me to the Uchiha compound?'

"Why?"

'I need to understand Sasuke if I'm to help break the curse. That's a good place to start.'

"You want to break the curse?" she asked in surprise.

'Yes. I am Sasuke...well...who Sasuke would have been had things been different.'

"You mean if his family was still alive."

'Yes. I am who the witch wants Sasuke to be. If I'm going to help with that I'll need to understand him and he'll have to understand me.'

"It makes sense I guess. Don't you want to wait until morning? It's late and you're exhausted from the transformation."

'I suppose you're right. Let's go tomorrow then.'

"We go right after the hospital visit."

They returned to Sakura's house and went to bed. The next morning they arrived at the Uchiha compound the next afternoon. The building were run down like abandoned buildings tended to become. The entire compound gave off the same feelings as a ghost town. The gardens were overrun with weeds the path was cracked with grass that managed to grow through. When they walked into Sasuke old house they saw that the furniture was covered in dust and the air smelled stale. The entire place appeared and felt abandoned. Which it had been since the day Itachi had slaughtered his family.

They wondered through the house and looked around. There were still blood stains on the ground in several of the rooms. In one room there was a kunai in the wall. Shadow stared at it for a moment and wondered why that seemed familiar. It was like looking through a fog. He could almost see an image but couldn't quite tell what it was. It frustrated him. How long would he have to go one half remembering a life that was and wasn't his at the same time? Would the witch ever give him his life back? He was beginning to doubt it.

"Are you alright, Shadow?" Sakura asked.

He nodded, 'I'm fine. Just frustrated. Tell me Sasuke's story again.'

She nodded and told him what she knew. It wasn't much. Sasuke hadn't felt like sharing. All she knew was common knowledge. As it always had the story made her both extremely angry and unbearably sad. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to grow up without parents. Hell, she couldn't even imagine what it was like to live knowing your own brother was your worst enemy. Sasuke would know what it was like. His brother had murdered...no...he had slaughtered their family. Murder was too clean a word for what Itachi had done. Itachi had then threatened Sasuke turning his brother into a driven boy that could only think of revenge. Sakura had spent the last few years blaming Itachi for what Sasuke had done. If it wasn't for Itachi Sasuke would still be here. He would still be her friend. Most importantly, Sasuke would be happy.

The wolf padded through the rooms as he listened to Sakura. He had heard the pain in her voice and smelt the sadness rolling off of her. Her love for Sasuke was obvious. Shadow wondered briefly if somethings were just meant to be. Sasuke had cared greatly for Sakura. He might have even loved her. Now as a wolf, Shadow had began to care for her and could even love her. In any form with any personality was he just meant to be by Sakura's side. It was an interesting thought.

"I don't know anything else. Just that Itachi killed their clan and left the village. Sorry."

Shadow licked her hand, 'Don't worry about it. It's more than I knew before.'

"Are you remembering anything?"

'Not really. Sometimes I can almost remember but then it slips away. Like water through your fingers.'

"What do you want to do now?"

Shadow sat and considered the question. What could he do? There had to be a way to trigger the memories. What could it be? He watched Sakura sit in front of him. With a tilt of his head he spoke to her, 'Tell me everything. From the day you first met him.'

Sakura shrugged and did just that. Shadow listened and could almost remember the things in her stories. Some were more clear than others. It didn't take long for him to figure out the key. The memories he could see clearly were the ones with his relationships with other playing a key role. He could clearly remember waking up to find Sakura crying for him. There was the memory with Naruto and him working together. He could see himself training with Kakashi. Every memory that played a key role in developing a bond with someone was clear. Any memory that would distance him from others were foggy and hard to focus on.

'You loved him, right?' Shadow asked.

Sakura's green eyes looked into his dark ones, "Yes I did and still do. Something about him...you...pulled at my heart. I couldn't stop myself from falling for him even if I wanted to. A part of me did...want to stop it. I knew it was hopeless but I couldn't help myself. Like I said. Something pulled my heart without my consent."

'Naruto was my best friend,' Shadow stated more than asked. He chose not to mention that she swapped between calling him Sasuke and Shadow. He was both and neither so there was no point in telling her to pick one.

"I believe so, yes. You two were an unbeatable team. You were both too proud to admit it though. It showed though. In the way you spoke to each other and acted. I'll admit the friendship started out rocky but it only grew as you got to know each other."

'And Kakashi?'

"That's a little more difficult I think. Kakashi took care of Sasuke and, from what I could tell, you looked up to him."

Shadow stared out at the Uchiha compound. Who was Sasuke Uchiha? That was the question he needed and answer to. From what he had been told Sasuke had been driven and strong. He kept his emotions in check and never let anyone see what they were. He had felt a large need to protect the people close to him from everything. That feeling had been stronger with Sakura though Sasuke would never have admitted it. Naruto had been his best friend but he wouldn't have admitted that either. Shadow was beginning to wonder if Sasuke would ever admit to having a heart of any kind.

The two started to leave the compound just as sun started to sink below the horizon. Sakura paused to watch the sunset. She even started to turn and comment on it's beauty. She never got the chance. Shadow let out a yelp of pain. Sakura spun around to face him and nearly panicked. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. The only time she had heard him cry out like that was when he was transforming. That shouldn't happen for another four weeks. She frowned in confusion when she saw that he was changing.

When the transformation stopped he sat there on his hands and knees panting for breath. Sakura rushed to his side, "Are you alright, Shadow?"

He looked at her and she saw it in his eyes. That driven look that Shadow's eyes had always lacked. This wasn't Shadow. This was Sasuke. He looked back down at the ground in confusion. "I'm fine," he told her finally.

"Sasuke-kun, what's going on?"

"I wish I knew."

"Well, well, well...so I was right. The wolf was Sasuke after all," an oily voice came from behind them.

Sasuke jumped up and stood between Sakura and Orochimaru, "What do you want?"

"I only want my favorite underling back. You vanished and I worried."

"Bullshit," Sasuke spat.

"Now that hurts, Sasuke. I really did worry. I was afraid you had left my side for good."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the snake. He believed him. Not because Orochimaru had any fond feelings for him but because the snake needed him. The Uchiha sneered, "I just bet you were."

Orochimaru grinned, "See. I knew you'd believe me. Now come back to the sound village and we can under this curse."

Sasuke looked at Orochimaru doubtfully, "Can you?"

"Of course. Come back with me, Sasuke," Orochimaru urged, holding out a hand.

Sakura gasped in fear. It was happening again. Orochimaru was going to take Sasuke away from her. She wouldn't let him. She wasn't the foolish little girl she had been. This time she would fight if she had to. She stood up and moved so that she stood just behind Sasuke. Her green eyes focused on Orochimaru, "You're lying."

"What makes you so sure, little girl?"

"I've spoken with the woman that cast the spell. A shinobi , even a legendary sannin, can't break it. Only Sasuke-kun can do that."

"Have you suddenly become an expert?" Orochimaru questioned.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at the medical nin. Sakura drew in a breath. She was afraid. Very afraid that she would lose Sasuke again if she didn't say the right thin. She spoke carefully when she answered Orochimaru but she watched Sasuke's dark eyes. "No, I'm not an expert. But what was done to Sasuke-kun wasn't a jutsu. It's a spell...a curse. It's not chakra. It's magic. A shinobi doesn't deal in curses or magic. We deal in chakra and jutsus. So what makes you so sure you can break it, Orochimaru?"

"I know a few things about spells and curses."

"But not as much as a witch. That's what cursed Sasuke-kun. An expert on magic. She wouldn't have cursed him with something that you could break. Not when her goal is to keep Sasuke-kun away from you."

"That's absolutely right, deary," an new voice came in a cackle.

Everyone looked over and saw the old woman. She grinned at Orochimaru, "Hello you old snake. Remember me?"

"You..." he hissed in response.

Sasuke also took a defensive stance. Sakura didn't bother. The woman wasn't there to fight. She had merely come to goad Orochimaru. The medic got the feeling that the old woman didn't care much for the snake and would do anything to annoy him. The witch quickly proved Sakura's theory correct.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to fight...yet. I just wanted to make sure Sasuke wasn't foolish enough to believe Orochimaru. The young lady is correct." The witch looked directly into Sasuke's eyes, "Only you can break my curse."

"And if I do?"

The old woman cackled again, "Then I'll give you what you seek. The location of your dear brother. However, if you break my curse things will be different. You might change your mind about killing him for revenge."

"I will kill him."

"Oh, I didn't say you wouldn't kill him, deary. Just that your motive you change. You'll kill him to protect your friend, Naruto. Not to avenge your clan."

"Naruto? The noisy blonde that trained with Jiraiya? He isn't worth protecting," Orochimaru stated in a bored tone.

Sakura glared at Orochimaru with all the hatred she had kept bottled up for years, "Don't you dare talk about Naruto like that. He's a far better man than you could ever dream of being and he could run you into the ground. You don't even deserve to stand in his shadow, you pathetic excuse for a human being."

The old woman laughed, "I like that girl. You should keep her, Sasuke. She's much better than the snake." The old woman took a close look at Sakura and smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. Instead it was more mischievous. It was the kind of smile that a person gave when they knew something you didn't and that you didn't want to know. "She also has the spark."

Sakura looked at the witch in confusion, "Huh?"

Orochimaru attack the woman. The sword came out of his mouth as he stabbed her with it. Sakura and Sasuke gasped in horror as blood came out of the woman's chest where the sword had stabbed through. The witch cackled again. There was a puff of smoke and she was gone. Her voice seemed to echo around them, "You'll have to do better than that Orochimaru if you want to kill me."

Orochimaru turned to Sasuke and demanded, "When did you meet her?"

"A month ago. She had the scroll you sent me after."

"She has it. Why didn't you kill her?"

"I tried. You know how that turned out."

"You do know that she if you don't break her curse within her time limit it becomes permeate don't you?"

"I figured as much."

"Come back with me and I'll break the curse."

Sasuke gazed at Orochimaru for a moment then looked away, "I can't."

"What?"

"I can't," Sasuke repeated, this time looking Orochimaru dead in the eyes.

"Why not?"

"Because I know how to break the curse. You can't do it. Only I can do that it has to be done here."

Orochimaru moved forward and would have forcibly taken Sasuke if the Uchiha hadn't taken a fighting stance. "If you try to force me, Orochimaru, I will fight you," Sasuke tole him matter of factly.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, "You haven't seen the last of me, Sasuke. I will be back and you will come with me then."

"We'll see," Sasuke replied. Orochimaru vanished.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried for a moment there. Sasuke just stood there staring at nothing. He was quiet for so long that Sakura began to worry again. She frowned as she realized that she was doing a lot of worrying these days. With a sigh she moved so that she stood in front of Sasuke.

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You don't want me to go."

Sakura gave a sad smile, "You're right about one thing. I don't want you to go you are wrong about the other. I really am sorry. I don't want you to be unhappy either."

The Uchiha looked at her and gave a bittersweet smile, "It's ironic isn't it."

"What?"

"That what I need to leave is the desire to stay."

"I hadn't thought about it really but, now that you mention it, yes it is."

"I guess I have no choice but to stay."

"You always have a choice, Sasuke-kun. You can stay here with us and trust that we'll help you just as well if not better than Orochimaru. Or you can leave and risk the consequences of the curse. The choice is and always has been yours."

He didn't look as if he believed her, "What would you have done if I chose to leave with Orochimaru just now?"

"I would have kicked your ass into next Tuesday without regret," Sakura informed him with a bright smile.

"You would have taken my choice away."

"No. You still made your choice and I would have made mine. Mine would just have countered yours. I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice and let you leave."

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something else but never got the chance. Out of nowhere a kunai aimed for the heart flew towards him. Sasuke dodged and turned to face his attacker and froze. Naruto stood there with anger in his blue eyes. The shinobi was obviously very pissed and Sasuke couldn't blame him. What did surprise him was Sakura's response. She moved so that she stood between him and Naruto.

"Stop it, Naruto," she snapped at him.

"What's he doing here, Sakura? He couldn't have voluntarily come back. That means he's here to fight."

"He did come back voluntarily. He's been here for several weeks now."

"What are you talking about?" The blonde looked around, "Where's Shadow? He should be here protecting you."

"Sasuke-kun is Shadow."

Naruto blinked, "What?! Sakura, have you lost your mind." The blonde walked over and placed a hand on Sakura's forehead, "You don't feel feverish. Maybe it's some kind of poison that's made you forget that Shadow is a dog and Sasuke-teme is not."

"Naruto," Sakura said in a dangerous tone, "if you don't move your hand I will break it. I am not sick nor did I forget that Shadow is _wolf_ and Sasuke-kun is a man."

"But you said..." Naruto started before Sakura interupped him.

"Sit down, Naruto, and I'll explain," Sakura said wearily.

"I'll stand. You can explain just fine with me standing," he told her while eyeing Sasuke warily. He didn't trust him right now. As much as Naruto wanted to accept that Sasuke was one their side it wasn't that easy. He had betrayed them and had even nearly killed him.

"Naruto, sit down or I swear I'll hit you so hard you'll end up on the moon," Sakura ordered him between clenched teeth.

Sasuke smirked. Her temper hadn't changed much.

Naruto help up his hands in self defense, "Ok. Ok. I'm sitting."

And he did. Sakura and Sasuke sat across from him. Sakura explained everything to Naruto while Sasuke kept an eye out for the witch or Orochimaru. He listened and knew that Shadow was right. The only way for him to break the curse was to get to know his other side. What made Shadow what to stay so badly? Was is Sakura? Naruto? Kakashi? A combination of everyone? Was it even a person? Could this place just hold special meaning to him? Sasuke didn't know the answer. Somewhere deep inside, he knew he hadn't wanted to leave Konoha. Even now a part of him begged to stay. Sasuke assumed that was the part that Shadow came from.

Then it occurred to Sasuke that he could have ended up being like Shadow. Shadow was the person he would have been if his clan was still alive and well. If his brother hadn't killed them. So in a sense, Shadow was Sasuke and Sasuke was Shadow. Had any one thing in his life changed even a little he would be the person Shadow was. It made his head hurt to think about it.

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" Sakura's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm fine." No way would he admit that his own confusing thought had given him a headache. Instead, Sasuke looked over at Naruto.

Naruto seemed to be processing everything that he had been told and deciding what to do about it. The blonde stood up and walked over to Sasuke, "Alright, Sasuke-teme, I want you to tell me that you're here to stay."

That was easy enough to do, especially since it was the truth. "I'm here to stay."

Suddenly, Naruto's usual large happy grin appeared on his face, "That's great. I'm glad you're back, Sasuke-teme."

Sasuke felt himself smile and heard himself say, "Oddly enough, so am I."

He couldn't believe that had come out of his mouth. It had been an automatic response to the statement. Usually he would have given some smart ass answer that would have annoyed Naruto. Instead he had spoken without thinking and told them how he really felt. How strange.

Naruto's grin widened, if that was possible, "Now I can kick your ass in a fight. This time I'll win."

Sasuke smirked, "You couldn't kick my ass if you tried."

They heard a familiar cackle and turned to see the witch standing there unharmed, "I just came to tell you about the change in your curse. You will change into a man every night. During the day you will be wolf. This time however you'll get to keep your memories. Let's see if you've learned anything, shall we?"

"How do I break the curse, old woman?" Sasuke demanded. "You never told me."

"You already know how," the witch told him with a meaningful look at Sakura.

Sasuke let out a growl. How dare she meddle in his life. He could never do what she asked of him. He could never tell Sakura how he really felt. It was a weakness he couldn't afford. Not if he wanted to avenge his clan. "I can't."

"Then you will never break the curse, deary. It's the only way. Those three little words that mean nothing and everything."

"What will happen if he doesn't break the curse?" Naruto asked. Sakura and Sasuke looked at him. Now why hadn't they thought of asking that?

The witch grinned evilly, "He will stop transforming."

"So the curse will be broken," Sasuke stated.

"Will it now, deary. The transformations may stop but that doesn't mean you'll like the result. Tata for now, deary. I look forward to seeing what you'll do now." With that the old woman vanished.

"I like her less and less each time I see her," Sakura commented.

"I can't disagree with that," Sasuke agreed.

"What will you do, Sasuke-teme? She said you already knew how to break the curse."

"I do."

"How?" Naruto pressed.

"I...I can't do it."

"What?! Why not?"

Sakura looked at Sasuke with curious green eyes. Sasuke's dark eyes darted towards her then quickly looked away. How could he tell her? He couldn't. It was that simple. He would remained cursed for the rest of his life.

* * *

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	6. Konoha Fights

That's it for this chapter. I believe I'll only have one more to go before this is story is finished. Never intended for it to be very long so it's no surprise.

Disclaimer: i own nothing

* * *

**Ch. 6: Konoha Fights**

Sasuke spent the rest of the night talking with Naruto and Sakura. Naruto was goofy and energetic as usual. The blonde still dreamed of becoming Hokage, and Sasuke believed he could actually do it if he wanted. Sakura was still hot tempered and brilliant. They had both grown up though and it showed sometimes. Sasuke would never admit it out loud but he had missed them. He had figured out long ago that he had never really been alone. These two had always been their. Supporting him. Caring about him. They had become his family. And that was why he had left. They had been a weakness he couldn't afford.

The three of them fell asleep in Sakura's living room shortly before dawn. They woke up when Sasuke let out a cry of pain. Naruto, who had never seen him transform, panicked. Sakura made him sit still long enough to listen to her.

"Don't worry, Naruto. It's just the transformation. Sasuke said it hurts him very badly to go from one form to another. I think it's because his body is forced into a different shape than before," she explained to her hyper friend.

Naruto let out a breath, "Oh. It just scared me to hear him yell like that. I've never heard Sasuke even acknowledge his pain let alone scream from it."

"Imagine how painful this must be for him to actually cry out," Sakura commented.

Naruto winced. The pain was probably enough to kill anyone else. He glanced back at his friend and saw the wolf lying there on the ground whimpering. Sakura knelt beside him and did her best to soothe him. Naruto took a step closer, "So is he Sasuke or Shadow?"

"I'm not sure. The witch said that he would keep his memories but I don't know what that meant. Shadow never remembered being Sasuke so it could be that. Or it could mean that Shadow will now have all of Sasuke's memories. It could also mean that this will be Sasuke now. I'll let you know when his eyes open."

The blonde grabbed his head, "This is making my head hurt. Couldn't the old woman have just left him as Sasuke? That would have been less complicated."

Sakura chuckled, "I don't think she wouldn't have found that nearly as amusing as this."

The wolf looked up at the two of them with dark serious eye. Sakura smiled at him, "Are you alright, Sasuke-kun?"

He nodded, 'I'll be fine. Remind me to bite that witch when I see her again.'

Sakura chuckled, "I'll remember that."

Naruto looked between the two of them, "Uhh, what's going on?"

"Oh, Sasuke is just being grumpy. He wants to bite the witch," Sakura explained. The wolf let out a growl. Sakura looked at him, "Well what would you call it?" When Sasuke didn't reply she smiled, "See. You are being grumpy."

This time Naruto could guess what Sasuke had said and laughed. Some things never changed and he was happy about that. Sasuke was back. They were a team again. He couldn't wait to have their first mission together. "What now?"

"We get to work. Sasuke has to break his curse and there's probably a time limit that we don't know what is," Sakura replied.

"But he said he couldn't do it?"

"Then we'll help him."

'No you won't,' Sasuke informed Sakura. Apparently he still couldn't communicate with anyone but the pink haired medic. Another part of the witch's match making scheme no doubt. It annoyed Sasuke that he could be as strong as he was but he was still helpless against himself. How could he admit that he, Sasuke Uchiha, was capable of loving someone else? That would mean that he had a weakness. He wasn't allowed to have a weak spot. Part of him was aware that he was fighting the inevitable but he couldn't help it. If anyone ever found out about his feelings for a certain teammate then that teammate would be in danger. Orochimaru and the Akatsuki would both target her as a way to get to him. He couldn't let that happen because, even as strong as he was, he wasn't strong enough to survive Sakura's death. That was the one thing that could destroy him in seconds.

Sakura and Naruto chose to let the subject drop. The day passed normally until an hour or two before sunrise. They were all in Sakura's house talking about what they should do now when Hinata came bursting into the room. "Naruto-kun, Sakura, someone is attacking. It's the Akatsuki. They want Naruto."

"Let's go," Naruto stated.

The three of them rushed out the door. They weren't surprised to see Kisame and Itachi were the ones attacking. Kisame grinned, "There's our fox. Time for you to come with us now."

"I don't think so," Naruto snapped. He didn't waste any time. The blond summoned his clones and prepared to use the Rasengan. Sasuke moved so that he stood in front of Sakura. The wolf released a deep growl. Sasuke was aware that he couldn't use his chakra, but he'd be damned if he'd let Itachi hurt Sakura.

Itachi looked at the wolf that was growling fiercely at them. He shouldn't have been surprised but he was. The older Uchiha recognized the wolf. How could he not? He had spent the last seven years watching over his little brother. Every move he had ever made had been to protect Sasuke. It would be a shame if after all he had been through for Sasuke if he didn't recognize him regardless of the shape he was in. The thought of what he would have to do to his brother was still very painful. Oh well, that would be over soon enough. Sasuke would never had to worry about him again.

There was a loud explosion. The rest of the Akatsuki appeared. Itachi's eyes narrowed but he said nothing. Then the village began to shake with a tremendous amount of force. Everyone looked around for the source. A large snake appeared out of nowhere with Orochimaru on top of it's head. Surrounding the snake were the sound ninjas. The Konoha shinobi felt a moment of panic. Their two worst enemies were attacking at the same times. How in the world were they going to get out of this alive?

Naruto grinned, "Alright. Now we can kill two birds with one stone."

Just like the day of the first part of the chunin exams, Naruto's reckless energy was contagious. His one comment had the entire village of Konoha preparing to fight to the death if necessary. Sasuke decided to help his friend. There were a few advantages to being a wolf. One was everyone was afraid of you even if they were stronger. The other was the sound effects. He released a blood chilling howl that had the hairs on the back of their enemies necks rising. It only helped to encourage the Konoha shinobi.

"You should all give up while you can," Orochimaru stated.

"Let me remind you all of something," Naruto stated with a determined look in his eyes. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I don't quit or back down."

No one was sure who attacked first. All that they were sure about was that a few seconds after Naruto's statement everyone was fighting. The sound of metal slapping against metal filled the air. Sasuke could smell fresh blood and fear. He rushed at Itachi. His brother calmly dodged and their fight began. Naruto glared at Orochimaru as the two circled each other. The fox wouldn't let Orochimaru take his best friend again. He would die first.

To the ones fighting the battles seemed to last for hours. The sun was starting its decent below the horizon. Sakura was fighting with one of the three Pains that were left. She had just landed a fatal blow after at least an hour of fighting with him. She had to give Pain credit for strength. The man was powerful. Before he died the Pain grabbed her arm to hold her in place. She tried to break free but she couldn't. "Sakura, look out!" someone shouted. She glanced up to see a lot of kunai raining down and they were aimed for her. She fought harder to break free. Sakura even tried to take the Pain's body with her but he was too heavy.

Sasuke had turned when he heard the shout. He felt his heart stop at the sight. Everything suddenly began to move in slow motion as he abandoned his fight with Itachi. He had to save her. With all the speed he had he rushed towards her. If only her could use his chakra. He would have been able to move much faster. Sasuke glanced at the sun only a small portion of it was still visible but that was all it took to keep him in this form. Even Akamaru had to have Kiba in order to use chakra. In his wolf form, Sasuke had no way of accessing his so he couldn't use sharingan or jutsus. If only had had told Sakura how he felt. Then he would be in his human form now. He would be able to us his chakra and save Sakura. If only...

The world continued to move in slow motion as Sasuke willed the sun to sink. It did but not in time. At the very moment the sun disappeared, the kunais reach Sakura. Sasuke watched in horror as a could of dust rose around her. There was a howl of absolute pain. Everyone stopped moving and turned to the wolf they had known as Shadow. He was howling and his shape seemed to be changing. Then a man stood there. He wore a white shirt and black pants. A rope was tied at his waist with a sword. There was a collective gasps as everyone recognized Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke didn't hear them. He didn't see them. All he could see was the image of the kunai piercing Sakura. He had been a fool. The reason he hadn't told her how he felt and broke the curse was because he was afraid she would be killed. He chuckled humorlessly. It was ironic that if he had told her the curse would be broken. Then he would have been able to save her. His eyes suddenly turned red with the Sharingan as he turned to the man who had killed her. Madara Uchiha smirked at the angry Sasuke. So this was the boy Itachi had sacrificed everything for to protect. Madara took a fighting stance as he waited for Sasuke to attack. He didn't have to wait long.

No one moved at they fought. Sasuke was fierce. He had thought he was angry at Itachi. That was nothing compared to the rage the boiled in him at that moment. Madara dodged as many of the attacks as he could but Sasuke was fast. It was possible that he was even more skilled that Itachi. Madara decided that this had gone on long enough. He changed tactics so that he was on the offensive. He hit Sasuke with a series of kicks that lifted him up into the air. When he lept up and punched Sasuke's midsection, Sasuke was slammed back down to the ground. For a moment everyone though Sasuke was about to die as Madara activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Then the dust around Sasuke cleared and they saw that he was standing. Not only that but there was something different about his eyes. Both men made some hand signs but Sasuke was just a second faster but that was all it took. Black flames exploded around Madara and there was no escaping those flames.

Everything was silent as they stared at Sasuke Uchiha. He turned and stared at them with what looked like a six pointed star in his eyes. He turned to Naruto. The blond had just knocked Orochimaru unconscious using the powers of the fox. Sasuke's eyes the turned to Kakashi. The copy ninja had been fighting with Kisame and now the two were just waiting for the same thing everyone else was. Sasuke then looked back down at the ground and simply sank to his knees. The will to fight and live left him as quickly as it had come. He knew he should finish his fight with Itachi but he couldn't find the reason anymore. Avenging his clan wouldn't bring them back. What would be left for him once Itachi was dead anyway? Sakura was gone. That was the one thing that had kept him sane during his years with Orochimaru. She would still be there. He had known that she would forgive him and let him back into her life. But now that knowledge was gone because so was she.

"Naruto." He turned to look at Tsunade and Jiraiya. The hokage smiled, "Go to him. Sasuke needs a friend right now. We'll make sure that Orochimaru is imprisoned."

"What about everyone else?"

"Look around you." He did and saw that only two members of the Akatsuki were still standing. All that was left of the enemy was the underlings. Even tired the Konoha shinobi could handle them. Tsunade shoved him towards Sasuke. "Go. We can take care of clean up."

"What about..."

"Go."

Naruto went. He knelt beside Sasuke but wasn't what he should say. Instead he just sat there and watched his dull eyed friend with worry. He glanced up when Kakashi knelt next to him. The copy ninja placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Hey, Sasuke. Say something."

"Like what? I couldn't save her. What is there to say about that?"

Kakashi glanced back over to the area where Sakura had been standing and his eyes widened. Something wasn't right. His eyes darted over to Itachi and he knew what it was.

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That's it. One more chapter...probably...unless I can come up with something else but I don't really have any brilliant ideas. Please send me a review.


	7. Sunrise

This is the last chapter. Well, I'm going to add and epilogue so it's not really the last chapter. More like the next to last chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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**Ch. 7: Sunrise**

Kakashi stood and looked at Itachi with surprise. The copy ninja reached down and pulled Sasuke to his feet. At first Sasuke resisted. He didn't have the energy to stand anymore. However, Kakashi insisted so Sasuke stood and glared up at his sensei. He paused when he saw the look on Kakashi's face. Sasuke turned to look at his brother and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Itachi stood there with an unconscious Sakura in his arms. Sasuke's mind screamed at him to move but his body wouldn't obey the command.

"Why?" Sasuke heard himself ask. "You kill our clan but you'll save her. Why, Itachi?"

The older Uchiha merely shrugged. It was too late to explain himself now. Kisame wasn't having it though. It was time everyone knew the truth, especially Sasuke. The shark man was tired of the whole situation and the Akatsuki were all dead. There was no reason not to tell the truth anymore. So Itachi's partner grinned and said, "He didn't kill your clan."

"What?!" everyone demanded.

"Kisame," Itachi warned.

"Not this time, Itachi. You've suffered enough and frankly so has your brother. Let's get this over with already." Kisame looked at Sasuke, "Madara and Pain were the ones that killed your clan. Itachi joined the Akatsuki to protect you from them. As long as he was a member of their organization no one was to touch you. He saved the girl because she matters to you."

Itachi let out a small sigh. Kisame was obviously in a talkative mood today. A part of him was grateful for that. The girl in his arms stirred. When he glanced down, he saw that she was awake now and staring at him in confusion. Itachi set her down carefully.

Sakura looked around as she tried to remember what had happened. She remembered seeing the Kunai coming towards her but then nothing. Sasuke rushed up to her and pulled her against him. Sakura let out a squeak of surprise. She could feel him shaking so she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm alright, Sasuke-kun."

"I thought you were gone," he whispered. His voice shook slightly had he tried to hold back his storming emotions. In the moment he had seen the kunai's strike, he had felt pain, despair, guilt, and then rage. Now the feeling of absolute relief was weakening.

"I'm alright," she repeated.

He nodded but held on for a few more seconds. When he released her, his eyes landed on his brother. He hesitated then said, "Thank you, Itachi."

Itachi's eyes widened a fraction. Finally he reached out and poked Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke blinked once...twice...then grinned. Itachi's mouth formed his own grin. The two understood each other and were brother's again.

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Sakura was overloaded in work now. She had even started sleeping in the hospital. In the aftermath of the battle, many people needed medical attention. She, being the best medic in Konoha, was on call for them all. Even Tsunade had put the duties as Hokage aside to help with tending wounds. Personally, Sakura believed that Tsunade was just avoiding her paperwork, but she wasn't going to complain about having the extra help.

She had just finished with a patient when Sasuke came up to her with a frown. The younger Uchiha hadn't gotten to see Sakura much during the last few days. Between her hospital duties and him helping the others repair the damage done to the village they just hadn't had the time to talk. Sasuke had been getting more and more irritated with each day he didn't see Sakura. The other villagers started to avoid him since the slightest mistake would set him off. The fact that he was still transforming into a wolf during the day didn't help Sasuke's mood any. One night, Naruto had enough and forced Sasuke to take a break. The blond had even told Sasuke to make sure that Sakura ate something. So here he was, at the hospital.

"Have you eaten yet?" he demanded. Sasuke was a little grumpy at being told to take a break, even if Naruto was right.

Sakura shook her head, "I haven't had the time."

"You do now." He turned and started to walk away.

For a moment, Sakura considered arguing but didn't. One, she really was hungry. And two, Sasuke seemed to be in a bad mood. Questioning him now was probably not a good idea. Sasuke took her to the Uchiha compound. On top of helping to rebuild the village, the Uchiha brothers and Kisame had been moving into the compound. The place had been abandoned for years so there was a lot of repairs and cleaning to be done.

They ate in silence and Sakura helped Sasuke clean up the dishes. When they stepped outside again, Sasuke stopped and looked up. It was a full moon tonight. It was hard to believe that he had just returned to Konoha three months ago. A lot had happened during those three months. He looked at Sakura. A lot had changed. He wasn't the same person he had been. Perhaps a little of Shadow was still in him now. The wolf had always been part of him but Sasuke had always ruthlessly shoved that part of him away. That part of him had been the side that loved this village and would have died before betraying his friends. That side of him hadn't been capable of getting revenge at all costs. So Sasuke had believed that part of him to be weak. That wasn't the case anymore. Sasuke now appreciated Shadow's strength and loyalty. He no longer shoved those feelings aside. Perhaps it was time to let himself be happy, starting with a certain medic.

"Sakura?"

She turned and looked at him, "What is it, Sasuke-kun?"

He reached out and pulled her close to him. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. She heard him whisper words she never thought she'd hear. At first, she didn't believe them but he seemed determined to convince her. When she pulled back to look at him, he kissed her. Again, she was shocked but that got lost in the flood of emotions that swarmed through her. Her brain seemed to shut down and it was all she could do to keep her muscles from doing the same. If Sasuke hadn't had his arms around her she would have fallen down.

He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, "I'm not lying, Sakura."

She looked at him carefully and then smiled, "I believe you. I love you too, Sasuke-kun. I always have and I always will."

He nodded and stepped back, "I'll walk you to the hospital."

Sakura shook her head, "They can handle the rest of the night without me. I want to stay with you for a while longer. Besides, the moon is about to set."

Sasuke looked over and sure enough. The moon was sinking below the horizon. Sasuke prepared himself for the pain to come and was surprised when nothing happened. Sakura stared at him for a moment then smiled brilliantly, "The curse is broken." She looked confused, "But how?"

There was a familiar cackling and the old woman appeared, "You were almost too late, Sasuke Uchiha. A few more minutes and you would have been trapped as a wolf for the rest of your life."

"You didn't tell me there was a time limit," he snapped in annoyance.

"I know, deary, but it wouldn't have been as fun if I told you."

"Rotten old hag," Sasuke grolwed.

"Now that's not a nice thing to say," the old woman stated with a grin. "Especially since I came all this way to tell you that your family will have a new kekkei genkai...well your children will," she amended. "Itachi's won't."

"And what will that be?" Sasuke asked with some suspicion.

"You now have the ability to transform at will into a wolf form. You see magic can never be removed entirely. A side effect of the curse is the new ability."

Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about this ability. The old woman turned and began to walk away, "Enjoy your life, Sasuke Uchiha. You only get one chance at it after all."

Sasuke merely glared at the woman. He nearly let her get away before he remembered the reason he was cursed to begin with. "What about the scroll? I never found out what was inside it."

The witch cackled again, "It's my favorite soup recipe. I planted the rumors about the scroll intentionally to tempt Orochimaru."

"You mean that I was cursed over a soup recipe?" Sasuke snapped.

"No. You were cursed for attacking me."

Sasuke would have attacked her right then except she just vanished. The old woman's voice echoed around them, "Don't worry, Sasuke. I will leave you and yours alone now. I'm going to find someone else to play with for a while."

"She makes me sound like a toy," he grumbled.

"You are to her. I wonder who she was," Sakura commented absently.

"We'll probably never know and frankly, I don't want to. If I ever see her again I'll probably kill her."

"I don't know. I can't help but feel grateful. What she did brought you back home."

Sasuke would have responded but Naruto came rushing up with his usual excited energy. "Hey, guys. Let's go. Kakashi said he would buy us breakfast." The blond stopped and looked up at the sun then back at Sasuke. He pointed at his friend, "You're a person."

"No shit sherlock. Did you figure that out by yourself?" Sasuke started to walk, "Let's go. Kakashi is waiting."

"Okay," Naruto and Sakura said together.

Early the next morning, Sakura found him on the roof of his compound. She sat next to him, "What are you doing, Sasuke-kun?"

"Watching the sunrise. It feels strange to know that when it comes up I'll still be a man. I keep expecting to feel the pain of the transformation."

"You'll never have to worry about that anymore."

He nodded, "I've learned how to control the transformations."

"So you really can change at will?"

"Yes. I practiced last night."

"You should have gotten some sleep."

He shrugged. As he stared at the horizon, he remembered his first day with team 7. Kakashi had asked them about their goals. For years Sasuke had only focused on one of his goals. Now that it was over, he had just remembered his second goal in life. He looked over at Sakura and smirked.

Sakura felt his stare and glanced up at him. Something in his eyes had her blushing. "What?"

He shook his head, "I'll tell you later."

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This is it. Let me know what you think of it.


	8. Epilogue

Now this one is the last chapter. I think I've tied off all the loose ends and covered all of my bases. It took me a while but this story is finished. (sniffles) i'm going to miss it.

Disclaimer: again, i own nothing

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Epilogue

He walked through the gates of his clan's compound. It was good be home now. He had been away on a mission. His wife hadn't been happy when he told her he had to go. She was currently two months pregnant, and therefore, forbidden to go on missions. She never liked it when she wasn't there to guard his back. It had reassured her to hear that the current Hokage and Kakashi would be going on the mission as well.

He heard shouts and the sound of running feet. Two twin boys rushed out the door calling out, "Dad's home!"

They threw themselves at him and he allowed them to knock him over. The two four year olds were a spitting image of their father, from the dark hair that spiked in the back and framed their faces to their dark eyes. They ran about with the innocence and happiness of children. Both of them were currently talking at once, trying to tell him everything he had missed while he was gone. He listened to them patiently. They were interrupted by a female voice from the doorway.

"Haru, Kakashi, that's enough. Let your father make it inside before you trample him."

"Yes, mother," the two chorused.

His eyes landed on her. She hadn't changed since he had left. Her pink hair brushed her shoulders and she gazed at him through emerald eyes. He stood. She watched him as he walked towards her with deliberate steps. The two boys made gagging sounds as their father greeted their mother. The two adults chuckled at their children. He looked at his wife, "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Really. Itachi and Kisame haven't let me do anything more than cook and clean. They're almost as protective as you are."

He smirked, "Good."

"You would say that. How did the mission go?"

"Fine. Naruto and Kakashi had my back just like they promised."

She smiled, "I knew they would. Naruto isn't hokage for nothing. And Kakashi taught us everything we know." She suddenly glared, "Speaking of Kakashi, I'm going to hit him the next time I see him."

He took her hand and began pulling her inside. He didn't want her to stay on her feet for too long. "Why?"

"Because he's rubbing off on our Kakashi."

He looked down at his youngest son. They had named him after their teacher, much to Kakashi's surprise. It had been his wife's idea, and he had been too overwhelmed by becoming a father to object. "How is he rubbing off on our son?"

"Well, our Kakashi was late to class yesterday and do you want to know what his excuse was?" she demanded.

"What?" he said with a hidden smile.

"He had to help a cat out of a tree."

Sasuke looked back at their son. Kakashi gave his father a sheepish smile, "I really did, Dad."

"I just bet you did."

The twins gave identical grins. The two of them were very close to the point of being inseparable. They even completed each other sentences and seemed to be communicating without words a lot. That didn't mean they were exactly alike. Haru took after his father in personality. He only showed his emotions around his family and extremely close friends. Kakashi was a optimistic boy that seemed to always be smiling.

"We've been invited to Ino's and Shikamaru's wedding."

"Hn," he responded without much commitment. He hated weddings. Wasn't putting up with his own enough? Wasn't being the best man at Naruto and Hinata's wedding just months after his own enough? Now, he was expected to attend everyone else's. Just last month he had been forced to sit through Neji and Tenten's wedding. Now he was going to have to sit through yet another wedding. Who next? It was enough to make him pray no one else he knew would be getting married any time soon.

"I'll take that as an 'I'll go but I won't like it'," his wife stated with a smile. "Oh, by the way, Sasuke-kun. Hinata invited us over for dinner. Her and Naruto decided it would be nice since it's been a while since we were all together. Their son will also keep ours busy for a few hours."

Sasuke looked down at his wife, "Maybe tomorrow. I want to spend my first night home."

She smiled, "I'll send the boys over to Kakashi-sensei's. He likes having them over and it'll get them out of the way for the night." Her smile turned into a sly grin, "Itachi and Kisame left for their mission this morning so we'll have the house to ourselves."

He smirked, "Sounds like a good plan to me, Sakura."

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This is it. I hope you enjoyed A Dog's Life. Don't forget to let me know what you think of it. Just to remind you that any story ideas I have will be posted on my profile page. Feel free to take a look and let me know which one you want to read next.


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